


Soul Keeper

by dawnlight



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama, F/M, Soul Bond, fem!Bilbo, gandalf is at loss, if you forget the orc part, it's very fluffy, unbeta fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-03
Updated: 2016-03-19
Packaged: 2018-04-07 12:25:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4263186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dawnlight/pseuds/dawnlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>‘Bilbo Baggins. Today you are dead as a hobbit, but your task in Middle Earth is not yet fulfilled so I’ll send you back as a Soul Keeper. Here’s the soul of a Warrior of Old. His body was lost in torment and his mind was enslaved by evil. You are to find him and stay with him until the time is come when his body reunited with his soul.' - Green Lady</p><p> </p><p>Of all places in the world, Gandalf found Azog living in Bag End</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Returner

**Author's Note:**

> idk this pair just make my stomach twist

_*_

_I was dead._

_I was dead on my way to Bree, tripped on my own feet and rolling down the cliff and hit my head on the stone. What an embarrassing death, and very hurt. Even in the afterlife, I can feel my head banging and my chest suffocated from broken ribs. I didn’t understand. If I’m already dead, why I still need to breath, why I don’t see any light? Is it because the forest was too dark? Or am I looking the wrong way? And then, if I’m dead, where’s the slide of memory of my life? Why my parents didn’t come to take me? Why I kept questioning myself like it matters?_

**_‘Bilbo Baggins…’_ **

_Here it was, my time. I must be stupid for complaining so much even in the little time they gave me before my passing. Here’s the light, so bright and blinding my eyes. There my parent’s voice, calling my name and there they were, waving at me. I wanted to wave back but then I realized they weren’t asking me to come, they gestured me to go away._

_Goodness, rejection felt stung._

_But the divine voice called me again, and so I averted my gaze to a shadow of light shaped in a giant lady. She must be Yavanna, the Green Lady and I’m in her realm. I bowed at her, sending my silent respect and her ethereal form gathered into a solid form of a small jasmine which landed on my palm. I watched the flower in awe as the voice returned to speak right into my mind,_

**_‘Bilbo Baggins. Today you are dead as a hobbit, but your task in Middle Earth is not yet fulfilled so I’ll send you back as a Soul Keeper. Here’s the soul of a Warrior of Old. His body was lost in torment and his mind was enslaved by evil. You are to find him and stay with him until the time is come when his body reunited with his soul.’_ **

_“Wait!” but when I screamed in halt, my body roused from where I was lying and I found myself sitting in the middle of bed, healing._

_So I’m not dead anymore._

_*_

It has been decades since Gandalf visited Shire. The death of his best friend Belladonna shook him greatly that he tried his best to avoid traveled to the land of Hobbits. Only now, he didn’t have any choice as to find one who foolish enough to join him on a quest on slaying a dragon far in the north. He recalled about Bilbo, and wondered if the lass still alive. Bilbo might be his best choice as the company’s burglar since the girl was half Baggins and half Took, which means Bilbo would not only brave and curious but also smart and tricky.

However, as he walked through Bagshot Row his step paused and his stomach twisted at the sight. It’s a morning, a very good day to stroll and haggled some goods in the market. But the merriness of the day couldn’t stop Gandalf from this eerie feel around Bag End. There’s foul stench of darkness coming from the house in which his grip tightened around his palm when the door opened to reveal young Bilbo Baggins, laughed at someone who talked –or growled- inside the house, “I’m just going to get my mail, you silly-…” and as the curly long haired she-hobbit locked gaze with Gandalf, the wizard held an urge to groan at the sudden jasmine scent enveloping his scent.

“Excuse me?” The girl smiled, “Can I help you?”

Gandalf couldn’t believe what he saw and the flash of memory he collected from the hollowness in Bilbo’s heart. Somehow the girl was dead but then resurrected as a Soul Keeper. She had a soul but it not belong to her, she was tied to the owner of the soul until the death parted them.

“Who’s that?” The stench of foul returned and Gandalf braced himself as he saw a giant pale orc emerged from the round door of Bag End. His heart became at loss at the fate Bilbo had to bear. “What are you looking at, wizard?” the creature spat at him in caution while standing next to Bilbo.

“Azog.” Bilbo warned lowly, the small hand reached up to brush on the pale arm to create comfort in between them. “Calm down. Let me talk to him.” She whispered softly, fearlessly, and the way she leaned into _his_ touch when Azog caressed her face only twisted him with more agony. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Orc was one of Morgoth’s creatures. They don’t deserve pity. They don’t deserve love. They don’t even have soul, only hunger and thirst!

But then it struck him.

 _So that’s the owner of the soul_ , he thought, eyeing Azog who glared at him for one last time before ducked into the house.

“I’m sorry.” Bilbo approached the gate with an apologetic smile, “my husband isn’t a morning person. So, you’re really a wizard?”

_Her husband…_

Gandalf tried not to think too deep into her words or there’ll be crazy thoughts haunted him as nightmares. He took a long sigh before smiling at the girl, “my dear Bilbo. It has been a while. You might forget about me, but I’m Gandalf, an old friend of your mother…”

.

Gandalf sat in the dining room, letting Bilbo roamed around while chattering old story about the wizard and his fantastic fireworks while she pour him tea and served him cakes. Gandalf thanked her with the humblest smile he could, though he was also aware with the glare coming from humongous creature called Bilbo’s husband. _An Orc husband_ , Gandalf winced at the stomach ache struck him in reminder. Valar, just how wicked this world could be?

“So, Bilbo…” He began when Bilbo finally seated herself –on her _husband_ lap- and sipping tea from Azog’s cup. Gandalf wanted to ask how it tastes to share _things_ with orc and how exactly Bilbo could stand the smell, but of course it was rude and thinking about it only added more into stomach twist. “I believe you had a great story to tell.” He showed the pure interest in his gaze, in hope the couple –ugh his poor stomach- knew he mean no harm.

“It’s not your business-!” Azog growled but Bilbo grasped the Orc’s palm, let their hands entwined as she cleared her throat and smile at Gandalf. “I would love to, but I don’t know where to start.” She said politely. There’s a curtain of hesitation in her gaze, showing that she meant to share her secret but she was also cautious with his reaction to her tale.

So Gandalf tried to help her by suggesting. “Then, how about you start on the day you returned from death?”

*

_I woke up on a bed with no memory from my afterlife. From Aunty Mira who waited by my side, I was saved by a caravan of merchant and they took me to Brandy Hall so my family could mend my wound. For a few days I stayed in bed, confused. I was supposed to die, I know, but I’m pretty much alive as before. I can sense the pain smeared around me but that’s not the only thing I could do. I could see the light around people, I could sense their soul and while the children had the most dazzling light around them, the eldery such as my Great Grandma only had weak sparkles left shimmering around her skin._

_But what I scared the most, I can’t see mine. I can’t see my own light when I checked on my hands and legs, I can’t see it through mirror or water. I don’t have any light and it stressed me out. Is it because I experienced death, now I became soul-less? Then what to do with soul-less life? I’m not a mere hobbit from Shire anymore. I’m as good as living corpse._

_My family worried for me and so they sent a letter to Elven Lord in Rivendell, asking about my peril. They tried to find you, Gandalf, but you’re not answering, not responding. So my family asked their Ranger friend to take me to Rivendell, in hope Lord Elrond could explain the hollowness in me and finding the cure._

_However, we’ve been ambushed by an Orc pack. I’ve never seen any Orc before, and they’re so vicious, riding on their wargs, slashing and killing the rangers. I think I’m going to die if I stay so I run into the forest and kept running though I know I’m no match to their pace. Soon, they will find me and I will really die this time. But I don’t stop running, my friend Gandalf, if I’m going to face another death, then I’ll fight it until my last breath._

(Gandalf frowned when Bilbo paused to catch a breath. He saw bigger hands brushed her small shoulder in silent encouragement and for a second he thought the sight in front of him almost became a perfect picture of lovely moment. _Almost_ , he groaned mentally)

_My step halted. I was lost in the middle of foreign forest, surrounded by three wargs riders with their hungry gaze and wicked smile. They eyed me like prey, wait that’s because I’m their prey and it didn’t make me feel better to see their bloody swords, still warm and dripping. They laughed at me, circling me while spatting mock in their strange language. Their beasts growled, already planned to shred me into pieces. Oh, that will be hurt, Gandalf, to get ripped from limbs to limbs. It’ll be worse than having my head bashed into stone._

_‘Leave me alone!’ I shouted and they answered me with bark of laugh. I glared at each of them, refused to be weak even with my legs trembled harshly and my tears falling like river. Just then, I realized something. They didn’t have lights around them. The orcs, they were soul-less like me. How this would help saving my life, I didn’t know yet. I just shocked at the moment to find I’m not the only one who had emptiness in my heart._

_One of them charged at me and I shut my eyes, ready to be slashed. But the blow never hit me, despite hearing the clang of metals and loud groans. The sound around me was awful, too frightening to describe, but I was still standing on my ground and still in one piece so I don’t think it’ll hurt to peek and checked my surrounding._

_I saw bodies, tore from limbs to limbs and scattered everywhere, creating a pool of blood around me. It was nasty, Gandalf, it wasn’t my kin but the horror remained the same if I had to walk through ripped intestines or laying head to get out from the circle of mess. ‘Good gracious…’ I whispered to myself, watching the layer of black now stained my feet, and only realized I was bumped into something when they’re right in front of my face._

_I saw the white warg –later on I’ve been informed her name was Naeli, it’s a pretty name- growling softly on my face and I had to look up to find him, Azog, sitting on her with his icy glare fixed on me. He was breathing heavily, but thankfully he’s not wounded. As why I care, I can’t explain it anyway. It as if he was someone so important to me, just like how he was confused to find himself struggling to save me from harm._

(“It’s because you have my soul.” Azog nuzzled the words into Bilbo’s side head. Bilbo looked up with a radiant smile on her and rewarded with a fond sniff to her crown hair. Gandalf tried not to be so disturbed with the sight)

_Azog took me with him, stayed with me in hope we could figure out this strange connection between us. Azog tried to make me fit with his pack while in the same time, tried to create a decent space for a hobbit to live. But other orcs didn’t want me, and I’m definitely uncomfortable to live around them. Still, we struggled to find out, at least until five years passed and I can’t stand it anymore. I kidnapped Naeli and let her guide me to the closest gate to Rivendell._

_‘Help me.’ a couple of Elves found me on the plateau, dropping down next to Naeli legs. They aimed their bow at Naeli but I grasped her mane and shook my head, pleading them to just let the Warg returned to her master. Naeli was reluctant but I told her to tell my husband where I am and so she had to go passing my message._

_‘You are a soul keeper.’_

_That’s what Lord Elrond said to me the time I was brought to Rivendell. He looked so frightened with his own finding, couldn’t stop glaring at me in disbelief. I had him turned speechless for a moment or two, before he cleared his throat and touched my palm gently, ‘dear miss hobbit, you are honored by Valar to be a Keeper of one of our brothers soul. It’s a soul of great Elf Knight you had in yours, a nameless warrior by now but he was died fighting the spawn of Morgoth during the First Age.’_

(At the mention of this, Gandalf couldn’t stop pity from seeping through his veins. He eyed Azog, knowing exactly how orcs were created. It didn’t help easing the pain in his stomach. Not at all)

_I am at loss._

_So, Azog was used to be an Elf? Then how he could turn into Orc? Is that what happened in afterlife, while our soul went to a better place, our body left to rot and diverted into a soul-less monster?_

_Am I a monster?_

_But no, Bilbo, snap it out. I’m a Soul Keeper. I’m not soul-less and so that’s why I’m not lost. There’s a soul in me and though it wasn’t mine, I won’t turn into a complete hollow like those Orcs because this soul was my anchor, my focus to keep my sanity intact. ‘But how about Azog?’ I asked Lord Elrond and explained about the strange bond in between me and my husband. Lord Elrond was even more shaken to hear my story and he immediately shouted to other elves, informing the border guard to expect Azog coming for me._

_It’s a forbidden thing for Orc entering the land of Imladris. But for me, Lord Elrond made exception. He brought me to Entrance Gate and we sat there waiting for my husband. Meanwhile, he shared his portion of knowledge about the bond in between us. He said, my death was incidental yet my soul had to go to where they belong. In return, Valar gave me an eternal task to be a Keeper. I won’t grow old because of this soul. I’ll live as long as the owner of this soul lived, until his death freed us both._

_That day I cried, Gandalf, I cried when I saw my husband again and let him swooped me into his embrace while still crying now in understanding. I belong to him, that’s what I know and he was drawn to me because I’m with his soul. He wouldn’t believe it when Lord Elrond explained to him, he was angry to be accused as Elf. To tell the truth, he didn’t know about his past. He only knew he was awakened as orc and he was to serve Evilness._

_But that’s not what he was. I believe it. I told him, he had a soul now and so he’s not a slave anymore. He was free from his duty. He was free from his kin as long as he wanted me to stay with him. Azog, of course he chose me. You can ask him later, how many times he tried to kill me, how many times he tried to put me in danger but even by thinking about it hurting him severely, tortured his mind entirely to the point he gave up and let me in, let me feel the vast emptiness in his heart._

_And that day when we became one, he vowed to pledge his loyalty to me who bear his soul._

*


	2. Deserter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Posting this after so long, please enjoy reading!

 

“Would you stay for lunch?”

Gandalf startled and then stared at the couple in the mix of astonishment and doubt. However he nodded absently as he recalled his reason seeking Bilbo. There are thirteen dwarves on the move from Blue Mountain and believed to meet their fourteenth member in Shire. Gladly, Gandalf wasn’t doing such reckless and hasty thing by marking Bag End door. Imagine, how messy it’ll be if the company found someone like Azog lived amongst the hobbits.

“Why are you here, wizard?” True Gandalf expected to hear such question but he preferred to discuss it with Bilbo instead having Azog growled suspiciously at him. He still had funny tickles under his skin at how civic Azog was. Shirtless as any orc -that probably can’t be helped since it’s their nature- but at least Azog wear wool pants not some armored loincloth. He reminded himself, Azog wasn’t an orc anymore. the soul controlled the thirst and introduced completeness of become a living being. It’s hard to believe, and even harder to accept but Azog had the same right to live now and be saved from evilness.

Still, it was strange to find Orc and goodness in the same side.

“I’m here to help some friends reclaimed their home.” Gandalf began explaining in a soft and careful tone, “Bilbo my dear, have you heard about Erebor, the Mightiest Dwarven Kingdom in Middle Earth?” and when the little blond returned Gandalf with a clueless look all in while Azog’s gaze widened in recognition, Gandalf threw the same question to the husband, “or, have you?”

He got a cold glare from the Orc, “what about it?” Azog grumbled lowly, as if Gandalf already causing trouble by asking. However, Bilbo whispered Azog name in soft warning that strangely made the icy blue eyes warmed and slowly filled with spark of emotions. It was enchanting –still in an eerie way- at the way Azog desired something only not in the violence or psychotic way. The Pale Orc simply shared a fond gaze to the wife, it's cruel if Gandalf thought the gesture is unacceptable, just because the husband recreated from remains and smelled as foul as death itself.

“Don’t be rude.” Bilbo stood from her chair to stay on her husband’s side and no matter how Gandalf tries to accept the reality with open mind, this picture of in front him didn’t match at all. Bilbo shouldn’t be with someone so menacing and… and… so HUGE! This is indeed a greatest scandal! Not only by Hobbiton standard but also the whole world!

“You like me rude.” Azog quirked a small smile, which swept into a gentle kiss by Bilbo’s pouty lips.

Gandalf cursed mentally. He needed to stop looking or searching for any detail he can’t even bear hearing, like how exactly this couple worked out their relationship with such big gap at their size or if Orc actually has gender –and use them properly- in their re-creation.

Eru, he felt like fainting right now.

“What about Erebor, then?” Azog asked him, “It’s the territory of Old Smaug now. No creatures fool enough to come as close as Greenwood Realm, even our refugees from Moria chooses to dig south to Mordor than going north and disturbing a dragon hoard, after we’re defeated by dwarves.”

“I’m glad we’re away when it happened.” Bilbo frowned, “I heard Bolg is dead.”

“Beaten by a baby prince, they said.” Azog snorted coldly, “A legion of Orcs is nothing without their Leader after all.” Azog then realized the words brought a haunted memory in Bilbo’s face, because the Pale Orc then raises a hand and ruffled the blond curl softly, “Not that I regret my own decision. I choose you, right? I will always choose you, _beloved._ ”

Is there even a word ‘beloved’ in Black Speech before today?

“The dwarves, they don’t win Moria.” Gandalf said somberly, much to surprise the couple. It’s a big win for the dwarves, but also a greatest fail in reclaiming their ancient home. As the remains of Orcs scattered after their Commanders beheaded, the ancient monster inside the belly of mountain awakened by the sound of war and perished anyone who dared entering the hall of Khazad-Dum. Like panicked ants, the dwarves ran from getting smashed and incinerated by Durin’s Bane who killed King Thror and sent Prince Thrain and his second son to fall into the darkest pit of Moria.

As the last standing Dwarven Commander, Thorin prioritized to save their legion and took responsibility of the result of war. He returned to Ered Luin with shame to bear forever, for the great loss of their win, for not be able returning his baby brother home and for not be able fulfilling a promise of a better home to his people.

“Now the darkness gathered in the east,” Gandalf reasoned, “and if you are familiar with it, I think you’ll know why this quest on reclaiming Erebor is important.” He said to both Bilbo and Azog, “You know your Master, the one who created you.” He pointed this at the Pale Orc, “Then you must understand why we have to defeat the dragon.”

Azog growled, “It’s impossible, Wizard. Even with ten thousands army of Orcs and Goblins, Smaug is born from the seed of Mount Doom. He’s undefeatable.”

“But he has blood and life stream, therefore he can be killed.” Gandalf said, “Now it’s a destiny to find the only person who can do it.” As he said it, Gandalf pinned his gaze at Bilbo who still clueless but remained silent to the conversation.

“No.” Azog growled.

“She can do it.”

“No.” Azog growled even harsher.

“What exactly I should do?” Bilbo asked in curiosity, “killing dragon?”

“No, you won’t be anywhere near any dwarf-scum or dragon.” Azog hissed before turning at Gandalf. “You, wizard, leave now.”

“No, please stay, Gandalf.” Bilbo grasped Azog by the arm in a calming gesture and magically, it worked. Slowly, the seething Orc started to look composed and civic though still glaring viciously at Gandalf. “I believe we can discuss this later, since it’s nearing luncheon and I need to prepare supper for us. Besides, you’re not hearing the story from my husband side, yet.”

“Must I?” Azog grumbled.

“Please?” Bilbo whines, acting innocent by fluttering her eyelashes and then laughed giddily when Azog finally melted into a bashful smile for her. She squealed in approval before leaving Gandalf alone with Azog in the dining room. Somehow Gandalf felt it as a very unwise decision, but here he was, sitting across the frightening creature with unspoken question refused to roll from his tongue, though Bilbo is true, he did curious at what happened from Azog’s point of view.

Azog reached the chocolate cookie –an orc eating cookie! By Valar, the end is coming- and dipped some of it into the tea, “so, where should I began?”

Gandalf cleared his throat. “How about…” he stammered and gritted his teeth in order to stop the overwhelming emotions from attacking his calm, “the reason why a former King of Gundabad Orc ended living in Bag End…”

Azog snickered as the sharp and uneven teeth bit into the crunchy cookie.

 

*

 

_I used to be Azog the Defiler, the leader of hundred clans and the breeder of the finest, merciless Gundabad Orcs. I know what we made of. Corpses, cold and decayed. We remade life, cutting and sewing limbs to resemble human form and just like bees, we placed them on the holes within the wall of the mountain and drowned them in mud, let the darkness succumbed them and nurtured them to be reborn again with only strength and hostility and no weakness._

_In my case and some of my Generals, we were the first orcs who was created by Sauron’s hand. We fought during the battle centuries ago and retreated as we failed defending our Master. He was lost but not dead. He commanded us to spread through the world and lay low for centuries, breeding our own clan and gaining army so to come to his calling when it’s the time for him to take his revenge. You might hear about him, Wizard, since you’re one of the Wise and I don’t believe your kind would be daft to think Sauron was dead._

_But I’m not a King anymore. I’m just Azog. Azog the Deserter, that’s what the rumor said and I don’t have intention to straighten any of it. You heard my wife’s story about how we struggled to be together. She came with me no matter how hard it was to live amongst orcs. How treacherous one to another and how often we ended killing each other. There’s no peace only distrust and no joy only cruel proud when the hunters back with victory and spoils._

_We’re at the bay of war within dwarves, when she took off with Naeli and run to Rivendell. I’m in the middle of meetings with my generals as Naeli broke the news. It’s strange, how she affected me so much. At that time, I don’t know she hosted my soul, but I roused from my seat and barked order for my second-in-command, Bolg, to be in charge when I’m away. I didn’t aware that I will flee from my home and left my kin in order to be with Bilbo._

_But I’ve been told she was bearing my soul and I was tied to her just as she was belongs to me. It explained everything, the attraction between us and the lust I’ve never feel as Orc but it held me strong to want her and love her. It sounded ridiculous to you, I know, but I love her and she said I’m fine to. I had soul now and so I’m not an Orc anymore. I don’t have to obey my Master. In fact, I don’t have master, except for my own soul. I don’t have to go to war against the Dwarves. I don’t have to be afraid with the sun and taking lives wasn’t so exciting when I felt guilt and remorse crept in the aftermath._

_I’m a deserter, a humiliation for my kin._

_But for Bilbo I’m her love and her everything and so I wouldn’t bother with anything else. With only Naeli loyal to us, we rode west, gaining far and further distance from the mountains and its upcoming battle. Long years passed as we lived in the shadow of Shire up until we found courage to step into the border. The day when her folks meet us at the border of Buckland was the most unforgettable. Her cousins, grew old as they should, screamed in horror less because she wedded an Orc and more because she was ageless._

. 

“But hobbits were fond of magic, as well as adventurous tale,” Bilbo added as she arranged plates on the table, smiling sheepishly at Gandalf, “at least my cousins welcomed us back and though it took ninety years to make the gossips dissipated from any road in Hobbiton, eventually my neighbors stopped talking about us. They’re too old or too dead to care anyway.”

“This place is unbelievable.” Azog chuckled and rewarded by a loving kiss on the side head by the giggling wife, “but I’m glad to be here instead anywhere else.”

“Of course. You have me here.”

Gandalf tried to not get affected with the moment happened in front of him. He just eyed the cupboard behind Azog instead witnessing Bilbo pressed her lips on the orc’s skin in chaste kisses and how Azog grabbed her arm gently, still chuckling in return. Only when Bilbo retreated back to kitchen, Gandalf could take his breath again and slumped on his chair. He smiled a little to lighten the mood, “You are lucky.” He said it without any mock in the tone or ill intention and only merely stating the truth. “You are saved by the Valar, therefore you must be a very brave warrior in your past life.”

“I don’t remember.” Azog grunted under _his_ breath, “and so I don’t care who I am in the past. I was born as Azog. Even if I’m less orcish now and more what I was before, that doesn’t mean it changed the fact that I’m still an orc.” The pale blue eyes gazed at the arch into the kitchen where they could hear the hum of children song coming from Bilbo.

 .

_Many times I tried to leave her. Many times I pointed my dagger to her heart, when I’m still blind and deaf to the fact and only knew she was bonded to me and if I killed her I’ll die. I’m not afraid of death, but my body and my mind forbade me to hurt her. Bolg said she made me weak, she turned me as easy target by assassins but Bolgknew little that I was stronger, braver and fearless instead when she was near. That’s how important a soul to being, I think. How having a soul taught me about the wholeness of life. How living with her taught me the preciousness of moment. To wake up next to her, to watch her fussing of my well-being, to see her facing the world with smile even as her kin addressed us as monster and abomination for years._

_‘We are monsters.’ She halted me when I was about to send Naeli to every insolent voice, ‘but there are better things to enjoy than settling stupid rumors.’ And so I don’t take offense of any nosy whisper or indirect mock towards us, instead I became like her, only shrugged at the dimness and naivety of these folks and minded my own business._

.

“So don’t ask her to be on this quest.” Azog muttered. “It’s not because I don’t trust her capability, I can’t lose her even if it’s for the sake of the world.”

A moment passed in rueful silence until Bilbo reappeared with explanation of their lunch, raising the mood into a certain level of merriness, enough to settle Azog into peaceful pace and Gandalf filled with relief.

“I hope you can at least host the dwarves.” He requested at the front door when he couldn’t avoid his departure from Bag End, “there are thirteen of them arrived here in about two days. If you can’t support them in this quest, then what about sharing Hobbit’s hospitality and great pies? I’m sure the dwarves will be thankful.”

Before Azog could say anything, Bilbo already beamed, “that’s sound great, Gandalf. Thirteen dwarves, allright? Then I must start listing for a house party.” Without warning, the little lady jumped at the wizard, hugging Gandalf for a dear life, “I’m so glad to see you again, Gandalf. Come over again, ok? Now I’m immortal, you’ll always be welcomed here all the time.”

“In a better world, my dear Bilbo.” Gandalf whispered, aimed his word straight at stubborn Orc, “but with the darkness looming in our future, there’s only so little time left with so little hope.”

Bilbo released the hug with a low whisper, “I’ll help, Gandalf.” She said under her breath, “I’ll try to convince my husband. It’s the matter of our life too, after all.”

Gandalf can’t help but smile. Bilbo's after all, a hobbit, and despite spending decades learning about hobbit, they’d never cease to surprise him, over and again.

*

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm itchy to start a different version of the quest, now with Azog as their ally  
> awww I really love this couple, thanks for reading!!!


End file.
